Thriving In Motherhood Podcast

Today we're talking about how to work from home with kids around. This applies to all types of work we might do from home, whether that's a side-gig, projects, or full-time (but now from home) work. We'll talk practical things about the when and how to work this into life while kids are around. Key Points from this Episode: When establishing a family routine, make sure to schedule in alone time for you. That can be before kids wake up, in the middle of the day while kids do "quiet time", or right after kids' bedtimes. Consider having an earlier bedtime for kids. It's okay if they don't go to sleep right away, but they can have quiet, unwinding time before they fall asleep and you can get TONS done during that time frame. Use Michael Hyatt's idea of "moving the needle forward." Ask yourself what tasks you can delete or delegate to others and you'll be left with tasks that you are best fit for you and will allow you to be most effective with the time you have. Plan! Choose 3-5 goals you want to accomplish in t

Today we're talking about practical tips to be able to enjoy yourself and your family during this crazy Coronavirus Quarantine time. As a homeschooling mom, I've figured out a few things along the way that can help as we all cope with the changes of being at home with our children all day, every day. Key Points from this Episode: Look to create a rhythm or routine for your household. Every day does not need to be the same, but general expectations help kids and adults alike to feel grounded. Cleaning up after meals is our "ticket to play/project" because who wouldn't want to play, but the work needs to get done too! We come together, eat together, we have some sort of intellectual stimulation/conversation/activity, then the kids have free play. Then it repeats. Build a repeatable rhythm that are tied to anchors of things like eating meals together. More time at home means more time for the kids to engage in things they love as well as being more engaged in the housework together. Have a conversation with you

Rosie is a mother of three girls (ages 7, 6, and 4) and author of Congratulations! It's Cancer A Memoir. Today we talk about her personal experience with cancer, homeschooling, and learning not to yell. She was born in Utah but raised in Kansas City, Missouri. She has her bachelor's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and met her husband while getting her Cosmetology License. She loves writing, chocolate, and collecting pretty books! Key Points from this Episode: Homeschooling can give kids a voice in their own education. It allows you to follow their natural motivation. Listen to what you're kids are interested in, and then pull in curriculum that relates to what they love. They will learn so much more! You don't have to teach everything yourself, even if you homeschool! There are so many resources you can turn to and be an example of how to learn something you don't know. Rosie's molar pregnancy resisted all the regular treatments and at some point in the process of multiple D&Cs, light chemo, heavy

Today is Part 2 of my conversation with Madeline Casey, Phoebe Cook, Linsey Jensen, & Kristen Ruesch. from Indiana on the topic of friendship. Today's topics cover how to help our children deal with conflict and how to serve each other. Key Points from this Episode: Food is a major way to serve each other. Make enough dinner to share, or have a potluck. Everyone wins that way! Helping care for another person's kids is huge. Be willing to be inconvenienced by each other. The friendship is totally worth the sacrifice. The more you get to know someone, the more you notice what they need and can feel more comfortable expressing what you need help with. The service relationships often start small and grow as times goes on. Do your best to reciprocate service when you can. Help your kids understand what they can control in the friend settings. When all the moms and the kids talk through conflicts together, it helped everyone learn how to grow together. Allow the goal to be helping the kids solve the problem fo

Today is Part 1 of an amazing conversation with four of my great friends from Indiana on the topic of friendship. How to have meaningful conversations, how to serve each other, how to become friends with people who are different than you are all topics we discuss. Key Points from this Episode: Meaningful friendships can come from all age groups, not just people who are the same age as you! Be on the lookout for new people moving in and be ready to welcome them and invite them into the fold of your friendship. Sharing your heart with your friends allows you to get to know each other's souls and develop a deeper connection. Recognize that your friends are different from you. That acceptance of each other's differences can allow you to be inspired without becoming overwhelmed with expectations. Do things for yourself like reading books or listening to podcasts and that gives you material to bring up in discussions with others. Sometimes it is easier to be vulnerable and develop deeper relationships in one-on-on

Today we are talking about how to ask for help and some of the principles about why and assurance that it's okay to ask for help! We all need it. Key Points from this Episode: Asking for help can be hard, and that's okay! Helping others feels wonderful, so remember it's okay to be on both sides of the helping. If we love helping others, it can be a huge blessing to others to let them help us. The bar for getting help and asking for help is way, way, WAY lower than we think it is. Interdependence helps lift everyone involved way farther than independence can.  Allowing the interdependent relationships to develop allows everyone to get help even when things aren't in pure survival, but even have help with the lesser, but still hard times. We have to fight that lie that independence is the end-all be-all. Especially in motherhood. Sometimes we have to be brave and ask for help so we can start cracking down our walls of independence and open the door for them to feel comfortable asking for help from you. In some

Theresa is a mother of two and owner of Montessori In Real Life blog and Instagram. Today we're talking about how to take principles of the Montessori philosophy and applying them into our home. There are a lot of practical ideas as well as Theresa's own story of growth. Key Points from this Episode: Montessori is providing an environment that allows children to be self-motivated, curious, and confident in their own abilities. They are respected for who they are individually, and, in return, learn to respect others. Having an open floor plan can allow family members to be together without needing to be doing the exact same thing. Having a kid-friendly house does not mean it cannot be beautiful and enjoyable for adults too. Montessori and home can be quite different from Montessori in the classroom. Foster the natural desire toddlers can have to want to clean up.  You can arrange a closet in your home similar to how a classroom would store their materials to make for easy rotation. How we show up for our kids

Today we talk about how to embrace our kids having a normal, messy childhood and what we can do as parents to make things easier on us as parents. Don't forget to join our free Love Your Life Challenge! Key Points from this Episode: Being in nature and being messy is important to our kids' development. Buying clothes from thrift stores or Walmart makes all clothes play clothes and takes the stress off keeping things stain-free. Having a rain suit and rain boots keeps the kids from getting cold and wet while still enjoying the water play. They will play longer and happier and be able to just come in and strip off the top layer and be ready to keep playing inside without a total wardrobe change. A waterproof art smock works wonders on art projects, but also daily needs like helping with dishes. It takes the stress out of letting your kids help! Resources Tuffo Muddy Buddy Rain Suit Waterproof Art Smock

Rhonda Steed is a mother of five (ages 7-17) and a woman of many talents. We talk about setting up a craft room for your kids, how to make sourdough bread, and life as a mother as our children grow from the toddler to the teenage years. Key Points from this Episode: When you are going through a difficult circumstance like Medical School, find a mom friend in the same situation. They will get you and be able to understand the trials you are dealing with. Learn to carry on with your family even if your busy spouse is unable to be home. Learn to be happy when they do get to come, but don't bemoan your situation when they can't. Taking care of your body really matters. It allows us to mother better and do our best. To parent different personality types, set a goal to pray and think about one thing you can do for each child each day. Start with construction paper and water with a paintbrush if you are nervous about introducing art supplies to your kids. To keep the clutter down with so many creative expressions o

Today I'm talking about how I taught my kids to play, which leads into why we homeschool. If you feel like you always needs to entertain your kids and are looking for how to build the independent play skills in your children, this episode is for you! Key Points from this Episode: There is no one right way to do anything, schooling included! Even if you don't homeschool, you can take away ideas about how to run your household that can help your home life. Enabling kids to have the space to play out real life things (like kitchen sets) gives them so much imagination and freedom!) Recognizing kids' capabilities to feed themselves, wash themselves and dress themselves requires us to relinquish some control of our control, but opens the door to have the kids be able to be contributing members of our households. Charlotte Mason teaches that children are born persons. They have their own personalities and ambitions. Teach children to be a part of a family and a community. Resources You Are Your Child's First Teach

Teru Clavel is a mother of three (ages 10-15), author, and comparative education expert. She talks about principles of education that can be applied in all of our lives. We talk about resiliency, failure, and confidence. We talk about what we can do in our own homes to support our children no matter where they go to school. Key Points from this Episode: Play-based preschool helped build children's independence and prepared them to make choices for themselves. Some moments in parenthood when we realize our kids rely on us, so we have to "wake up" and meet their needs completely. We have to choose strength in that moment. Failure is a critical part of the learning process. Most of the important lessons we learn in life come from failure. Failure builds resiliency! More technology is not the answer to teach our children. Having technology is not bad, but the learning process works better in a more tactile world. Motherhood is a great learning ground for multitasking and prioritizing. We naturally measure everyt

In this episode I talk about setting appropriate expectations for ourselves in our new year and the difference between a vision and goals. I also share about my word for 2020: Connection. Key Points from this Episode: Setting goals or having a vision can keep us from drifting through our lives. A vision can keep things in perspective for what you have in your circle of influence, even when it's a hard or the future is feeling unknown. Think about the why behind your vision and goals. It needs to be realistic and compelling. In seasons where you can't do, focus on who you can be. If you are in a season where setting goals of doing is not realistic, have your vision focus on who you can be instead. Keep moving on the baby steps even when you aren't feeling it so that when you have a "wake up" moment and see your life with fresh eyes, you can enjoy the life you have created. Plan action steps for your vision (AKA goals) quarterly or even monthly if the whole year has too many moving parts to predict.

In this episode, I do a Year in Review and discuss some major lessons learned this year. I also talk about some things you might want to consider as you reflect on your year as a whole. Key Points from this Episode: Review any place you keep track of your thoughts or memories for the year. Relive the fun moments or experiences you had. If you can't plan the whole year, that's totally okay! Just take it a quarter, or even a month, at a time. When you focus on your circle of influence, it will have a positive effect on your family. That often means asking for more help! Communicating with your spouse to help make sure you are pulling your loads together, rather than pulling each your hardest but not together, will bring you strength. Recognize the successes you have had this year and find what motivates you to keep going on your goals from those experiences. Figure out what is in your circle of influence that can guide you towards things you really want in your life.

Merry Christmas!! Today, I talk about choosing to walk in the light rather than darkness during times of trial.  Key Points from this Episode: Angels are helping us in our times of trial even if we don't notice them.  Our thought patterns are like waking through tall grass. Our typical patterns are well-worn paths and are easy to walk through. It takes effort to try a new path, but you can do it! Read the questions to ask God. Open the scriptures and read a few verses. Then review and ponder the questions and see where the Spirit guides your thoughts. Hone in on what is in your circle of influence. Accept what phase of the Surviving to Thriving Framework you are in (Surviving, Re-Entry, Normalizing, Exploring, or Thriving). Own it and don't try to keep a foot in the door in phases you aren't really in right now! Oftentimes when our circumstances get bigger than ourselves, contentment can be the first thing to go. Peace can go out the door right with it. Accept the circumstances for what they are and remember

Today, I'm talking about a principle that has the ability to completely revolutionize your life. It's called the Big Three for the Week. It works wonderfully with the Thriving in Motherhood Planner, but can absolutely be applied with or without this particular planner. Key Points from this Episode: A Big Three for the Week helps add a lot of clarity, but you can optionally also have a Big Three for each Day if you have that kind of structure available to you. The Big Three are three things that help you move the needle forward on the most important tasks. Big Three should be highest priorities and we are intentionally giving space to them. You can have one of your Big Three be for one of your personal goals. You can have one of your Big Three be a goal for your family. This can be a great check to make sure things are in balance. You can have one of your Big Three be beyond your family. Look for opportunities of service or church work. It's okay to have just a Big One or Big Two if you know your top priority

Sarah Molitor is a mother of five under the age of seven and today we talk about finding joy in the Lord in our every day moments and boundaries both within our families and our own lives. Sarah is a Registered Nurse who always had being a wife and mother as her goal. Her passions are raising children to be others-oriented and inspiring other mothers to find joy through her social media influence. Key Points from this Episode: It takes time to find your confidence as a mother and find your stride. Focus on what things do look like, not what you expect them to look like. In hindsight, we will get to see that what God has planned for us is way cooler than anything we could have planned. Connect to the Lord any where, any time you can. It doesn't have to be at 6 am before the kids are awake. Allow the Lord to seep in all throughout our days. Structure and boundaries can give us the freedom to have more fun because the kids know what to expect to some degree. What we do at home should mimic what we do in public.

Today, we are talking about ways to create space in our lives. When we take the time to clear out mental space, we can make room to think ahead and prepare for the upcoming year! Key Points from this Episode: What is on your list to help you create space? Consider: Physical space Process Paperwork Setting Boundaries for Social Media Usage Reading Books that have been on your List Take a Break from Work  Focus on Your Relationship with God Look for finding balance, not on a daily or weekly level, but zoom out and make sure your yearly priorities are reflected in your yearly accounting of your time. If we don't take time to empty out, then we are more likely to want to escape. Instead, work to create a life that you don't want to escape from.

Dr. Sherry Zhang is a mother and founder and CEO of Genopalate. We talk about equipping our children with tools to navigate challenges, successes, and failures. We also talk about learning and the importance of asking good questions. Key Points from this Episode: Motherhood is a learning experience from day one. Every day is going to have some sort of fantastic uncertainty. It's up to us to make it better or worse. Learning from our children, who we created, is an amazing experience. Teaching our children principles and standards sets them up to interact well with the ever-changing environment around them. Successes are a very personal thing. Your successes can look completely different than someone else's. Your genetic code can give hints to what foods work best with your body. Health is not just about weight loss. Overall health is so much more.

Oakley is a mother of three, blogger & Instagrammer. She shares her family's stories about working with their son who has down-syndrome and discusses accepting imperfect mothering during the process. Key Points from this Episode: Keeping the home simple can help keep you from feeling like you are drowning. It's okay to not be the exact mom we want to be at this exact moment in time. Raising a family is a whole-family effort. Being a more open parent with our children about the process helps it become a team effort. Parenting has become more of an open process with our children because of the transparency of the world we live in.  Navigate the needs of your children by knowing your children. Notice what the need is. It's okay that the needs of the children are different. Take the time to be still with each child. Be a listener and let your children feel heard in their own home. Give your kids a few moments where you can let them feel like they are the center of your universe. Some of the surprises can be

Today we are talking about the Thriving in Motherhood Planner and three actionable steps for you to take (in our planner or another one) to help you change how you feel about your motherhood and your days and how you're using your time! Key Points from this Episode: This planner grew out of really wanting to have a place for myself to be able to bring to fruition what I wanted my motherhood to look like. The planner solves two MAJOR problems: It's a place to empty out your brain so you can engage in real life. It's also a way to be intentional with your time without adding unnecessary pressure. Change how you look at your time. Look at your time at a weekly level rather than a daily level. In the next 24 hours, write down all the things you accomplished, the things you discovered, the places you went to, the books you read, what you have done with your family. You can celebrate your accomplishments and evaluate where you want your priorities to be better. Ask yourself what you are curious about trying and